Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 19:12:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rex Wockner
Subject: TIJUANA STORIES - Wockner
NEW GAY DISCO OPENS IN TIJUANA
TIJUANA AIDS HOSPICE OPENS
FIRST TIJUANA PRIDE PARADE THIS SATURDAY
by Rex Wockner
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ACCENTS (first story): E IN MEXICO, A IN VELASQUEZ, ~ OVER N IN NINOS
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TIJUANA, Mexico -- A fifth gay discotheque has opened in Tijuana.
Paradigm is connected to Emilio's Cafe in the Parking
America complex on 3rd Street just east of Ninos Heroes Avenue.
"This is an alternative space to the other discos," said
owner Emilio Velasquez. "There will be no drag shows."
Hours are 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. seven days a week.
"Later this summer, we want to start opening earlier,"
Velasquez said, "because we've seen that a lot of gay and lesbian
tourists need a place to get maps and directions on where to go,
what activities are to be found in Tijuana -- bars and discos and
hotels and referrals to professional services.
"We'll try to have a number of materials to assist visitors.
We'd like to be a first place to visit to find your way around
town, and maybe even find a friendly native to show you around."
Next door, Emilio's Cafe will continue to offer live music,
and the second floor will be converted into a video room "for
music videos or whatever you want to put on the machine,"
Velasquez said.
Tijuana's other gay discos are Mike's, Noa Noa, Terraza and
Los Equipales. There are also two gay bars -- El Ranchero and El
Taurino. The addresses can be found in each issue of San Diego's Gay &
Lesbian Times.
In other Tijuana news, one of the two long-planned AIDS
hospices finally has opened.
AIDS Organization Tijuana's facility, located at kilometer
24 on the old road to Tecate, will hold 15 people once it is
fully equipped. It has had four patients to date.
== end ==
== another story follows ==
FIRST TIJUANA PRIDE PARADE IS THIS SATURDAY (short version)
by Rex Wockner
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ACCENT MARKS: e in Mexico, e in Jose, i in Garcia, e in Que
UPSIDE-DOWN QUESTION MARK: before Y in Grupo Y Que?
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TIJUANA, Mexico -- Tijuana's first gay-pride march steps off from
2nd Street and Constitution Avenue Saturday, June 17, at 5:30 p.m.
That intersection is at the southwest end of Plaza Santa Cecilia,
the slanted block-long mall that begins right across Revolution
Avenue from the "Welcome to Tijuana" arch.
The organizers, the gay-rights group Grupo Y Que?, strongly
urge gay/lesbian San Diegans and other southern Californians to
make the trip south to support their Mexican brothers and sisters
in this brave step forward.
"It will be quite a victory if a lot of people show up,"
said spokesman Alejandro Garcia. "We are not looking for a fight
or for a debate over whether we should have rights or not. We
want a celebration, and the people in the bars say they are going
to come."
Tijuana's seven gay bars themselves have refused to join the
parade, fearing repercussions from authorities, such as trouble
with licenses.
But Grupo Y Que's? Jose Navarro believes "the social
conditions to organize a human-rights march exist at this time in
Tijuana."
"Our theme is, 'From Silence to Celebration for Gay and
Lesbian Human Rights,'" Navarro said.
For further information, dial direct 011-52-66-80-99-63 or
011-52-66-80-94-82.
== end ==